New Beer Sunday (week 447)

Greetings and felicitations all NBS'ers. =) I have discovered a video game I like. You need to know that I hate video games. I have looked with disapproval on all of them since space invaders, asteroids and pac man. I even hated PONG on atari. I just discovered candy crush saga on facebook. I feel so foolish. I cant' stop playing. It's cute , I love the sounds and"help!" I am hopelessly hooked. Wish me luck and what can I do to fill the time between lives? Taste beer of course.

Today it's Stone Cali Belgique.


This was amazing. It rivaled both pliny and heady topper. It attempted heady toppers lush sweet honey but it caved to caramel. It attempted pliny's crushed aspirin like bitter astringency and left that right in the middle of the beer without as much sharpness. I really liked this beer. It had a soft belgian yeast character underneath a pile of ripe fruit. Have this one and have "enjoy by" and then tell me all stone beers are like ruination. New fangirl here. Just sayin'.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/43905/?ba=utopiajane

Here's a little something to tide you over until the next life. Cheers!

 

Flickr is down for maintenance and my Photobucket account is full (old news - gave up on them a long time ago), and my images are too large for Image Shack (WTH?) so no pics... - and I took some really good ones, too - lotsa beer and food and football on tap for this beautiful NFL Sunday...

More frustrating than it should be, but I am apparently more reliant on this stuff than I ever imagined I'd be! (where's the stress icon????)

Anyway, I'll just have to make do.

Sunny and seventy-something on LI in NY - a great respite from some atrocious working conditions for me this past week.

Picked up Green Flash's new triple IPA (TIPA?), Green Bullet, made with (I guess) Green Bullet hops from New Zealand.

My two thoughts prior to drinking were of Palate Wrecker, my previous fave from GF, and Devil Dancer, my only other experience with a TIPA. This beer was unlike either.
A really crisp and light (?!?!) brew with lots of bright, fresh hops and chewy, delicious malts - it was like a DIPA, pilsener, and APA all rolled into one. But the abv? Wow. Gotta get some food in the belly fer sure!

Alright, my Fox pregame show has been paused long enough.

Have a great day and enjoy the games (if that's yer thang).

 

Good Sunday to all my fellow NBS BA's! I hope the day treats you well. It is a cool, rainy day in Southern WI. I hope we get an inch of rain, since we have not had any significant rainfall in over 2 months. We need to break this drought.
I had a late night because my WI Badgers were playing at ASU, and I fell asleep at 1:00AM. I ended up missing the last 2 minutes of the game which were very controversial. Not sure why the Badgers keep finding themselves in these games every year. Oh well.
Today I am trying an Anderson Valley BBS that Ken from OK sent to me. It is a BBS, and an okay one at that. The base beer is not spectacular, and the barrel seems to dominate the finish. It is pretty decent and is fine for today. My GB Packers kick off in about 40 minutes, so I better make some popcorn.

 

NEW SAISON SUNDAY

Happy NBS all! A perfect day today. Sunny, crisp, and cool just the way I like it. We had a great time this week watching the little guy experiment with new foods. Priceless facial expressions! Lovin being a Dad!

Anyway, I opted for a small, local saison with brunch today. The can describes it as a working class ale. I'd call that something to be.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10397/38850/?ba=DIM



Headed out for a long walk to enjoy the day, Cheers!

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A cloudy, cool autumn day here in the Fourth Corner of America. I put in a couple hours helping out at one of my local breweries this morning, and have a couple odd-jobs there tomorrow, which added to my regular gig puts me right in the middle of I think will be a 20 or 21 straight day run. Thankfully, there is beer involved.

Regulars may remember that last Sunday, I was headed off to do a "cellar dive" with my friend Justin and a couple other buddies. Well, we all brought some some beer to share, so we didn't actually put a dent in OKComputers cellar. Here's the list: Saison du Pelican, Alaskan Raspberry Wheat, ST Creme Brulee, DFH/SN Rhizing Bines, Double Mountain Red War, Gigantic Hellion, and North Coast Grand Cru. A nice afternoon, with sausages and shrimp on the grill.

I'm starting today off with this nice little Porter from Oak Harbor, WA, home of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14503/99352. Cheers and happy NBS all!

 

Greetings From the Jersey Shore on this ***New American Pale Ale Sunday*** !!

Good afternoon NBS group. The weather is beautiful here today, 70 degrees now with bright sunshine. I had an early lunch today and then tried this Kane Brewing ale that I picked up last night at the growler fill joint: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26676/98659/?ba=NiceTaps
I could have rated it higher, but was cautious of being a "homer".

So my Sunday chores are done, the wife hit the gym, now I'm headed to the golf course. A local course offers a Fall NFL special, golf and cart for $25.00 after 12 noon on football Sundays. That's right up my alley.

A section of the Barnegat Bay separates my hometown, Toms River, from my neighbors in Seaside Park, NJ...
I toast them today.





All the best, everyone, Cheers!

 

Well I am having another. St. Bernardus Tripel. This is an immaculate tripel. If it's about 2 tenths or so low in the ratings it's because it's not flashy. It's not bourbon barrel aged. It's absolutely delicious and everything that's good about this style. Well made. Expertly crafted and you can almost see those monks giggling as they think "We know how to have fun. We just don't let you see."

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/722/?ba=utopiajane

 

Another from the Green Flash brewers night the Copper Hog had last week. Not really my cup of tea: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2743/84326/?ba=beertunes

 

Well, it seems to be a darker, heavier day so far: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/199/46188/?ba=beertunes. However, they do have my favorite beer in the world (Chimay White) on tap, so there's probably one of those coming up as a palate resetter.

 

New Hefe Weizen Sunday (week 447)

Greetings NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val NY. Beauteous day, 70's, dry, and clear. Had work this morning, only 4 hours, but a blessing compared to the steaming hot 14 hour day yday brewing, serving beer, and chatting up 500 folks about the wonders of Saccharomyces Cervisieae and malted barley. Done free of charge, mind you, though the goal is to become the brewers in partnership with a local hop farm. Deferred and uncertain benefits, ain't that America, you and me.

Today's new beer is one I have been meaning to try for long, I think it is the only German Hefe to which I have access and hadn't tried. Delicious sums up Paulaner's offering perfectly. Take the musical advice of one of my all time favorite bands, offered below, and you will be better for it. Hope you have a Great American Beer in your glass, even though today I don't. Cheers!


http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/124/1256/?ba=cavedave

 

Beautiful sunny day here in SoCal. Fired up the BBQ smoker for some tri-tip and cracked open a new beer with my buddy.

Almanac Brewing Fresh Hop Single IPA - Chinook.

Pours a rich clear orange/amber color. Nice thick frothy white head with mostly small bubbles but some larger ones as well. Smell is citrus and earthy hops with a malt backbone. Also get a fresh dank smell. Taste is much like the smell citrus and earthy hops. Half way though I get hit by a fair amount of bitterness. Bitterness isn't overly lingering or strong but comes through early and continues through the finish. Mouthfeel is heavier for an ipa. Mild carbonation.

Overall a good easy drinking wet/fresh hopped ipa that I would rate @4 of 5. I prefer the brighter and more crisp IPAs.

 

NEW KOLSCH AND STEAMBEER SUNDAY

We met with some friends for a late light lunch and a couple of beers. I had a really nice steambeer and a so-so kolsch.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6045/97574

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6045/59436/?ba=DIM

Cheers again!

 

And, after my Chimay break, it's back to the darkness: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/86545/?ba=beertunes. I thought the bourbon complemented the beer in this one, and didn't overpower it, as is so often the case.

 

New Am. IPA Sunday

Greetings to all NBSer's! Cloudy, a touch cool, compared to what we've been experiencing and last night received some much needed rain after at least 6 weeks of no rain. Probably not enough, but something is better than nothing - although my rain gauge notes at least 1.25 inches. A late start to fall around these parts as it is the middle of September and really few obvious hints of color change. Must be the late spring and late start to summer, because typically there would be some color on some maples by now. I'm still getting some summer produce from by garden, although that will probably end pretty much this week with cooler nights in the forecast. Need to do some apple picking today as they are set to go.

Anyway, more local than usual with my beer today. Still 40 miles away (that's as close as I can get), but a newer brewery trying to make it in the home of Mayo clinic. Not typical hopping with spicy seemingly English flavors. Nonetheless a pleasant enough drink to watch a heartbreaking loss to da' Bears.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30031/97578/?ba=garymuchow

Best to all this week.

 

New Double IPA

Gray day in West MI. Clouds with spots of rain (luckily no new flooding) and temps in upper 50s to lower 60s. Feels like fall is near.

Made the family a big breakfast after they let me sleep in this morning, hit my target mileage for the first time in a long time. Feeling pretty good about the day.

Took some time to contemplate this offering from Short's. Very solid.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/93256/?ba=GRPunk

 

New TRIPEL Sunday

(well, not exactly new to me...)

I'm getting ready to vote myself off the BA Island for not having reviewed this to date... I've had at least 3-4 sixtels of this on the home bar over the past few years, Tripel is my favorite style, and yet, as I sit here sipping on another pull of it from the home bar, I somehow realize that I've never bothered to give it a formal review. What a jerk I turned out to be.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4/448/?ba=BeerImmediately

 

If you want a great IPA brewed in Athens, try this one, it's delicious!

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24047/62851

Athens, NY, that is.

 

That's OK, you can make amends by sending a mini-growler to all the NBS regulars, next time you tap a keg. We're a very forgiving bunch.